The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has called for swift law enforcement action following a Labour Court judgment ordering former University of Johannesburg (UJ) Senior Director: Student Affairs Andries Helani to pay more than R18.18 million in damages linked to the accreditation of two non-compliant student accommodation properties.
The Labour Court ordered Helani to pay R18,184,863.62 to UJ after finding that he breached his employment contract through fraudulent conduct linked to the accreditation of the properties. The judgment was delivered on 21 August 2026. In a statement issued on 1 September, NSFAS welcomed the judgment and said law enforcement should now act swiftly to ensure that criminal charges follow.
“Fraud, corruption, abuse of public funds and exploitation of NSFAS-funded students are treated with the utmost seriousness,” NSFAS said. The scheme added that those responsible should be held accountable where wrongdoing is proven and that improperly obtained funds should be recovered.
Accommodation properties linked to UJ
According to NSFAS, the properties referred to in the allegations were accredited and leased through UJ and not directly by NSFAS.
The scheme explained that where accommodation is owned, managed or leased by a University, payments are made directly to the institution after NSFAS receives and verifies claims submitted by the University. The University remains responsible for the accuracy of those claims, compliance with the applicable requirements and the contractual arrangements linked to student accommodation, NSFAS said.
The Labour Court judgment found that Helani, who served as UJ’s Senior Director: Student Affairs from January 2017 until his dismissal in March 2024, was closely involved in the accreditation of private student accommodation providers.
The court found that he accepted bribes to help Mahlatse Investments obtain accreditation for two properties that were not entitled to accreditation. It further found that fraudulent misrepresentations made by Helani contributed to UJ suffering losses of more than R18 million.
NSFAS urges institutions to strengthen oversight
NSFAS said its management had been directed to continue engaging institutions of higher learning and to caution against arrangements that circumvent prescribed accommodation accreditation and payment processes.
The scheme also called for extreme vigilance in managing public funds ring-fenced for students. “All universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges participating in the student accommodation programme are called upon to comply fully with the prescribed framework,” NSFAS said.
It warned that practices that bypass established processes could expose NSFAS-funded students to exploitation and public funds to fraud, corruption or financial loss.
NSFAS said the matter also dispels the notion that funds ring-fenced for students can be handed over to institutions for both allocation and disbursement.
The Labour Court judgment was issued in University of Johannesburg v Andries Helani. The court ordered Helani to pay UJ the full R18,184,863.62 in damages, as well as the University’s legal costs.
Source: National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)